Bordeaux and the estates of its vineyards
Luxury hotels in Bordeaux & the vineyards
3 hotels
Bordeaux is a city of eighteenth-century stone on a bend of the Garonne, and its vineyards begin at the last suburb. They cover the gravel of Pessac-Léognan and the Graves to the south, the hills of Sauternes below them, Saint-Émilion on its limestone plateau across the Dordogne and the Médoc up the estuary. Its best hotels are estates first: a hotel among the vines of a classified growth at Martillac, a thirteenth-century château on a Sauternes hilltop dressed by Lalique, and a house in the heart of medieval Saint-Émilion. We looked at every serious address between the river and the vines and kept only those whose service holds up to the estate. Three made the cut – one holds five-star standing and two hold four-star standing, and the copy says which is which.
Pessac-Léognan & the Graves
The gravel banks south of the city where the Graves begin – home to one of the three hotels. Pessac and Talence sit at the city's edge, Léognan and Martillac among the classified growths, with the pine forest of the Landes behind them and the Garonne to the east. Bordeaux Saint-Jean station and Mérignac airport are twenty minutes away.
The neighborhoods
Pessac-Léognan & the Graves
The gravel banks south of the city where the Graves begin – home to one of the three hotels. Pessac and Talence sit at the city's edge, Léognan and Martillac among the classified growths, with the pine forest of the Landes behind them and the Garonne to the east. Bordeaux Saint-Jean station and Mérignac airport are twenty minutes away.
Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Hôtel Lalique · Sauternes & Barsac — Tomas e · CC BY-SA 3.0Sauternes & Barsac
The sweet-wine hills forty kilometers south of Bordeaux – home to one of the three hotels. They run along the left bank of the Garonne through the communes of Sauternes, Bommes, Fargues, Preignac and Barsac, with Château d'Yquem on its rise and Langon on the river. In autumn the mists bring the noble rot to the Sémillon.
Saint-Émilion & the Libournais
The right bank across the Dordogne, around the medieval town of Saint-Émilion – home to one of the three hotels. The town on its limestone plateau, with its monolithic church and Romanesque cloisters, has been listed by UNESCO since 1999; the classified estates lie on the slopes around it, with Pomerol and Libourne on the river.
Good to know
Which are the five-star hotels in Bordeaux & the vineyards?
One. The five-star hotel we list in Bordeaux & the vineyards is Les Sources de Caudalie, among the vines of Château Smith Haut Lafitte at Martillac, south of the city. Alongside it we keep two four-star addresses that hold four-star standing and are never called five-star: Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Hôtel Lalique, on its hilltop at Bommes in Sauternes; and Hôtel de Pavie, in the heart of Saint-Émilion. Each has its own page, reached from the list above, with a concierge behind every stay.
Which part of the Bordeaux vineyards should I stay in?
The three hotels sit in three appellations, none more than an hour from the others. Pessac-Léognan and the Graves begin at the southern edge of the city – Les Sources de Caudalie is at Martillac, with the classified growths of the Graves along the road. Sauternes lies half an hour further south on the left bank of the Garonne, where the autumn mists bring the noble rot – Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey stands on its hilltop at Bommes facing Château d'Yquem. Saint-Émilion is across the Dordogne to the east, forty minutes from the city – Hôtel de Pavie in the medieval town, with Pomerol and the Libournais estates around it. Choose the Graves for the city within reach; Sauternes for the quiet of the sweet-wine hills; Saint-Émilion for the town, its monolithic church and the right-bank cellars.
When is the best season for Bordeaux and the vineyards?
May to October are the months for the vines – the flowering in June, the long light of summer on the terraces, the harvest from September, and in Sauternes the late pickings of botrytized grapes that run into November. Spring and autumn are the seasons for the city itself, when the quays and the Triangle d'Or are at their best and the estates open their cellars; they are also the weeks that fill first. Winter is quiet and handsome, with fires lit in the châteaux and the town of Saint-Émilion to yourself. Some dining rooms keep seasonal days, and the concierge confirms what is open on your dates before you book.
How do you get to Bordeaux – and do I need a car?
By train, the TGV from Paris Montparnasse reaches Bordeaux Saint-Jean in about two hours; by air, Bordeaux-Mérignac lies on the western edge of the city, twenty minutes from Martillac. From Saint-Jean, Saint-Émilion is under forty minutes by regional train, and Martillac and Bommes are half an hour by road. Once you are there a car earns its keep in the vineyards: the estates are spread along the appellations and the lanes between the châteaux are the pleasure of the place. The hotel arranges a car from the station or the airport with your booking. The concierge fixes the estate visits that need an appointment.
How do I reserve a stay?
Search your dates on the hotel's page to see reference rates, then send the concierge a request. The concierge confirms exact rates and availability with you before anything is booked, and any payment and its timing are set out before you confirm.
